Recording reveals murdered Minneapolis activist feared for her safety

Just days before her murder, Minneapolis artist and  peace activist Susan Spiller gave a prophetic warning during a community board meeting.

"I for one and my neighbor who is a single female, had a fear of retaliation if we blew the whistle on our neighbors," Spiller is heard saying in a recording of the meeting.

Her fellow board members allege months of minor problems like noise complaints had reached a tipping point, to where Spiller feared retaliation for blowing the whistle.

"For her to publicly state it at our meeting, it was shocking," said fellow board member David Boyd.

The Hennepin County medical examiner’s office has ruled the cause of Spiller's as “complex homicidal violence.” This designation means her murder was likely particularly gruesome, and she could have died several different ways.

Spiller, 68, was found dead in her home on Thursday morning after an apparent home invasion on the 5100 block of Dupont Avenue North. Spiller’s neighbors in Lind-Bohanon neighborhood and greater north side gathered for a vigil Sunday night, where many spoke of the tragedies their community is facing.

"Even if they catch the person, I don't know if we can get back to where we were at,” one neighbor said.

Investigators are being tight-lipped about the investigation and the motivation for the crime. But people in the neighborhood said this crime on their street has changed the way they go about daily life.

"They robbed us of our peace,” resident Dorothy Bright said. “This is our peaceful neighborhood and they took our peace and joy.”

Minneapolis police say there are still no suspects at this time, but the case is being treated as a murder. No arrests have been made.

Anyone with information is asked to call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or send an anonymous tip to CRIMES (274637) and begin message with: TIP674 or call the MPD tip line at 612-692-TIPS (8477). The case numbers are 15-263264.